RSPO Annual Communications of Progress 2015
Union of Concerned Scientists Particulars About Your Organisation Organisation Name Union of Concerned Scientists Corporate Website Address www.ucsusa.org Primary Activity or Product
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Environmental NGO
Related Company(ies) No
Membership Membership Number
Membership Category
Membership Sector
6-0022-12-000-00
Ordinary
Environmental or Nature Conservation Organisations (Non Governmental Organisations)
Particulars Form
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Union of Concerned Scientists
RSPO Annual Communications of Progress 2015
Environmental and Conservation NGOs Operational Profile 1.1 What are the main activities of your organization ? The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. 1.2 Does your organization use and/or sell any palm oil? No 1.3 Activities undertaken to promote sustainable palm oil, the RSPO and/or members in the reporting period UCS has been promoting our reports and publicly sharing information about palm oil, including sustainable and deforestation-free palm oil. Throughout the year, UCS publicly engaged with member companies, the media, the scientific community, and the public to share information about the need for RSPO to adopt a set of criteria that incorporate full protections for High Carbon Stock forests and peat (of any depth); our advocacy has included commenting on RSPO NEXT and communicating about it to consumer-facing companies. Over the course of the past year, we have encouraged new companies such as Clorox, Estee Lauder, Costco, Wendy's, and Domino's to join the RSPO as members and buy from suppliers whose operations are compliant with RSPO P&C as well as additional deforestation-free criteria. 1. 4 Did members of your staff participate in RSPO working groups/taskforces in the reporting period? No 1.5 Do you have any collaborations with the industry players/private sector to support them in the market transformation towards CSPO? Yes Please explain how We have coached a number of companies over the past year in strengthening or adopting new policies, utilizing RSPO oil as a stepping stone toward achieving relationships with suppliers that have zero deforestation zero peat conversion practices across their entire supply chain. 1.6 What percentage of your organizations overall activities focus on palm oil? 10% 1.7 How is your work on palm oil funded? We receive support from major donors and UCS members, as well as Transport & Environment, another NGO, in Europe.
Time-Bound Plan 2.1 Date started or expect to start participating in RSPO working groups/taskforces 2013 Comment: In 2014 our analyst attended meetings of the Palm Oil Innovations Lab to discuss the development of additional Principles & Criteria for High Carbon Stock forests and peatlands. In 2014, our analyst attended the GHG Working Group meetings at the RSPO meeting in KL. Starting in 2013, UCS aided in research to better quantify an emissions factor for oil palm plantations grown on peat at the request of the Emissions Reductions Working Group.
Environmental and Conservation NGOs Form
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Union of Concerned Scientists
RSPO Annual Communications of Progress 2015
2.2 Date expected to undertake and publicise programmes to support RSPO, RSPO certification and/or good standing RSPO members 2013 Comment: Throughout 2013 until 2016 UCS has publicly engaged with member companies, the media, the scientific community, and the public to share information about the RSPO P&C revision process and to urge for stronger standards. UCS does note that sourcing RSPO CSPO (especially SG or IP) is a good step, but encourages companies to work with these suppliers to add additional criteria to their palm oil policies to avoid deforestation of high carbon stock forests and to avoid peat completely. Some of these recommendations have been incorporated into RSPO NEXT voluntary criteria. UCS has also publicly shared success stories about leading companies (RSPO members) that are meeting these goals and plans to continue to do so. 2.3 What are your interim milestones towards achieving your commitments to promote sustainable palm oil (the production/uptake of CSPO)? UCS has been publicly sharing information about palm oil, including sustainable palm oil with the public and companies in the US. In 2014 and 2015 we released scorecards evaluating companies based on their pledges for palm oil sourcing; consumer goods companies could receive more than 50 points out of 100 for being a member of the RSPO with a commitment to CSPO sourcing; however, to reach 100 points the company needed to add additional protections for HCS forests and peatlands as well as ask their suppliers about GHG emissions. Our 2016 goals are to provide guidance to those companies who have adopted responsible palm oil sourcing commitments on reporting to the public on their progress, including through key performance indicators. 2.4 Which countries that your institution operates in do the above commitments cover?
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United States
Actions for Next Reporting Period 3.1 Outline actions that will be taken in the coming year to promote sustainable palm oil(along the supply chain) Our 2016 goals are to provide guidance to those companies who have adopted responsible palm oil sourcing commitments on reporting to the public on their progress towards implementation. As part of this work, we are working with other investors and NGOs to develop a set of key performance indicators for public reporting that goes beyond RSPO ACOP reporting. UCS also continues to work with ZSL's SPOTT program to refine indicators and add new producers to the list. The program uses RSPO as a fundamental framework, layering on additional transparency and sustainability criteria, to evaluate companies' performance against their peers. UCS will continue to meet with consumer goods associations like the CGF as well as individual consumer goods companies to encourage them to buy oil that meets RSPO P&C as well as additional provisions for High Carbon Stock forest and peatland protections. Finally, UCS is working with another NGO on the development of a methodology to review and analyze the palm oil sourcing policies of major palm oil growers, to be released as a Scorecard in 2016.
Reasons for Non-Disclosure of Information 4.1 If you have not disclosed any of the above information please indicate the reasons why
GHG Emissions 5.1 Are you currently assessing the GHG emissions from your operations? Yes 5.2 Do you publicly report the GHG emissions of your operations? Yes 5.2 Please upload related document -5.2 Add a link to a website www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/07/ucs-sustainability-report-fy12.pdf
Application of Principles & Criteria for all members sectors
Environmental and Conservation NGOs Form
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Union of Concerned Scientists
RSPO Annual Communications of Progress 2015
6.1 Do you have organizational policies that are in line with the RSPO P&C, such as:
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Energy and carbon footprints EN-Policies-to-PNC-waterland.pdf
- If none of the above, please specify if/when you intend to develop one -6.2 If no to any of the above, what steps will your organization take to realize ethical conduct in business-applicable regulations and industry practices? More information about our board and leadership, who manage issues related to ethical conduct, can be found online at http://www.ucsusa.org/about/annual-report.html 6.3 What best practice guidelines or information has your organization provided to facilitate production and consumption of CSPO? What languages are these guidelines available in? Our palm oil scorecard, found at www.ucsusa.org/palmoilscorecard, indicates our guidelines on responsible sourcing, which includes but is not limited to CSPO purchasing. 6.4 Has your organization partnered with any RSPO members in the implementation of or benchmarking against the Principles and Criteria? Yes Detail Our palm oil scorecard, found at www.ucsusa.org/palmoilscorecard, indicates our guidelines on responsible sourcing, which includes but is not limited to CSPO purchasing; companies can receive 50/100 points for RSPO-related criteria. Website link www.ucsusa.org/palmoilscorecard
Concession Map 7.1 This questions only applies for companies who would like to declare concession boundaries owned. (both RSPO Certified and uncertified) Do you agree to share your concession maps with the RSPO? No Please explain why --
Environmental and Conservation NGOs Form
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Union of Concerned Scientists
RSPO Annual Communications of Progress 2015
Challenges 1 What significant economic, social or environmental obstacles have you encountered in the production, procurement, use and/or promotion of CSPO and what efforts did you make to mitigate or resolve them? N/A 2 How would you qualify RSPO standards as compared to other parallel standards? -Cost Effective: Yes Robust: Yes Simpler to Comply to: -3 How has your organization supported the vision of RSPO to transform markets? (e.g. Funding; Engagement with key stakeholders; Business to business education/outreach) Outreach to businesses and other NGOs; advocate for strengthened P&C. Engagement with manufacturers, retailers, restaurants, producers and traders to adopt their own responsible sourcing practices and policies. 4 Other information on palm oil (sustainability reports, policies, other public information) Find our positions at www.ucsusa.org/forests and www.ucsusa.org/palmoilscorecard and www.ucsusa.org/palmoilstory.
Challenges Form
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